Stearic spots, lye, or uncolored batter?

[TashaBird]

This has been a really weird batch of soap! The whole thing still zaps, so I can’t tell what these spots are. For now I’ve put it away. It’s been unusually cold. I’ve put a lot of time and work into this one! Even though it’s not perfect, I’ll be pretty crushed if I have to toss it!!
Can any of you tell what these white spots are?
At least the green bottom layer is morphing back.

 

[Ford]

White spots look like TD booger's. My soaping area is running around 55-58 degrees. And I can tell/see the difference. It was running 68-70 thru out the summer. Already had a case of false trace.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

Lye clumps would start sweating like crazy when in a humid environment. Stearic spots are usually much smaller, occur in flocks, and with lower contrast than yours. It's also too white to be uncoloured batter (except false trace hit you and crazed out during blending). I'm with @Ford , it looks like clumped pigment to me.

Let's hope the best that the zappiness mellows out over a few days!

 

[Ford]

stearic spots remind me of prickly skin. Or goose bumps as I would call it. No different color than what's underneath, just bumpy. I have read wire cutters can cause this also? Don't quote me on that.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Great job on the irises!

As for the spots, do you use any additives, like coconut milk? If the spots are pigment, I would expect them to smear.

 

[TashaBird]

No TD used, just a bit of blue mica. I think maybe false trace? It was chilly! It seemed like regular trace. I’ve gotten to where I do everything almost exactly the same now. My batter is pretty light when uncolored. What would be happening with false trace?

 

[ResolvableOwl]

The batter becomes thicker, in a slightly different way than true trace. False trace is more like applesauce than like the egg white of true trace, but the difference can be hard to spot. Also solidification starts from the walls/bottom of the container, while in the middle it stays fluid longer.
In case of exceptional bad luck, you have got false trace just in one corner of your bucket, and you partly broke it up when you stirred the blue in. Or a clump of batter accelerated inside the stick blender head (haven't heard that this has ever happend, but who knows? And the spots must come from somewhere.)

When have you added the blue mica? Was it early (just after emulsification & splitting), or anywhere near trace time?

 

[TashaBird]

Blue mica added a little at thinnest trace to try to get it to flow down between the flowers. (That lighter blue, first pour, remained more sticky and soft than the rest. You can see that in the first couple of pics.) Then I added darker blue to some of the batter and did an ITPS for the remainder of the sky. I’m thinking/hoping it was some clumped up tallow or CO that got cold from the edges and didn’t blend. That would still at least be usable.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

I’m thinking/hoping it was some clumped up tallow or CO that got cold from the edges and didn’t blend.

That sounds likely! You can find out it by gently warming one bar to some 40°C/110°F (CPOP oven, radiator…) and watch if the spots melt.

ETA: And it might as well explain that the rest of the batter has stayed lye-heavy.

 

[TashaBird]

That sounds likely! You can find out it by gently warming one bar to some 40°C/110°F (CPOP oven, radiator…) and watch if the spots melt.

Great idea! Fingers crossed it’s at least usable.